Apparatus for dividing a stream of liquid.



R. S-. ELLIS. APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING A STREAM 0F LIQUID.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-16,1914- Patented Oct. 3,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

R. S. ELLIS.

APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING A STREAM OF LIQUID.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I6. 1914.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

flaw. W

Patented 0013. 3,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- RICHARD S. ELLIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

. APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING A STREAM OF LIQUID.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed March 16, 1914. Serial No. 825,058.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S. ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Dividing a Stream of Liquid, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for dividing a stream of liquid into definite proportions, the present apparatus being designed for use especially in connection with water softening apparatus such as is used in laundries.

The object of my invention is the production of mechanism of the character mentioned through the medium of which a stream of liquid may be divided into exact proportions irrespective of the size of the stream.

A further object is the production of mechanism as mentioned which will be extremely simple and economical in construction and which will be positive and efficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a water softening plant embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the upper end portion of the constructionshown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section illustrating'the mounting and c0nnecti0n of an oscillatory supply pipe included in the construction, Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of a water receiving box included in the construction shown in Fig. 2, Fig.5 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 4:, Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation of another form of my invention, and Fig. 7 is a section taken'on line a2x of Fig. 6.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawings comprises an elongated receptacle or trough 1, the upper side of which is open. Arranged directly over said receptacle is a water supply pipe 2 the upper end of which is mounted for oscillatory movement in a suitable bearing 3, the oscillatory movement permitted said pipe being in a plane extending longitudinallyofthe receptacle 1. v The upper end of pipe 2 communicates, as shown in Fig. 3, with the stationary supply pipe 4.

Arranged in the receptacle 1 intermediate the ends thereof are spaced longitudinally extending walls 5 and transversely extending walls 6, 7 and 8 which result in the formation ofcompartments 9 and 10. The compartments 9 and 10 open upwardly, and said compartments are positioned in the path of thestream which issues from the pipe 2, when the latter isoscillated, so that a portion of the liquid issuing from said pipe will be deposited into said compartments when the liquid stream traverses the same as will be readily understood. The

upper portions 6 and 8 of the walls6 and 8 respectively are tiltably mounted so as to permit of adjustment of the width of the mouths of compartments 9 and 10. Such adjustment of the wall portions 6 and 8' is effected by means of stems 11 and 12 respectively, which are pivotally connected at their inner ends with the upper ends of said wall members, the outer ends of said stems resting upon the upper edges of the end walls ofrec'eptacle 1 and being notched or toothed as at 13 in order to engage with said edges of said receptacle ends and thereby serve to releasably hold the wall members 6 and 8 in positions of pivotal adjustment. The outer end portions of said stems 11 and 12 are also graduated in order to aid in the adjustment of wall members 6 and 8 and indicator fingers 14 are secured to the ends of receptacle 1 for cooperation with such graduations. I

, With this arrangement it will be seen that upon oscillation of the supply pipe 2 the stream ofwater issuing therefrom will be divided into three parts, the major part being deposited into the receptacle 1 and minor parts being deposited into compartments 9 and 10. The amplitude of oscillas tion of pipe 2 being constant and the movement of said pipe being uniform, the parts into which the stream which issues from said pipe is divided will bear a certain fixed proportion or ratio to each other depending upon the width of the mouths of compartments 9 and 10. By tiltably adjusting the wall members 6 and 8 this proportion may be varied as desired within a certain range, it being clear that when said wall members are rocked outwardly the quantity of liquid which is deposited into said compartments upper edges of the wall 6, 7 and 8 are tapered or beveled to a knife edge.

Leading from the bottom of receptacle 1 is a drain pipe 15 and leading from the botpl ant.

toms of compartments 9 and 10 are drain pipes 16 and 17 respectively. The P1136 discharges into a water wheel mechanism 18 which is mounted at the upper end of the reaction tank 19 of the water softening The pipe 16 communicates with a float or controlling tank 20 also arranged at the upper end of the tank 19 and the pipe 17 communicates with a lime watertank 21 arranged alongside of tank 20. Arranged in the controlling tank 20 is a float 22 which is connected by means of a flexible element or cord 23 passing around guide pulleys 24 with a lift pipe 25 which is pivoted at 26 in a tank 27 which in use may contain a solution of soda ash or caustic soda. The feeding of the liquid chemical contained 1n tank 27 to the reaction tank 19 is effected.

through lowering of the outer or free end of the lift pipe 25 as will be readily understood, it being clear as said end of said pipe is lowered the liquid chemical contained in said tank will be gradually drained therefrom and directed by drain pipe 28 leading from said tank into the down-take pipe 29 arranged in the reaction tank 19. lVith the arrangement set forth it will be seen that the float 22 controls the downward movement or rocking of the pipe 25 as mentioned, said float in turn being governed in its upward movement by the supply of water which is deposited into the tank 20 by drain pipe 16 leading from the compartment 9; Thus it will be seen that the quantity of liquid or water which is deposited in said compartment 9 from supply pipe 2 in the oscillatory movement of the latter will determine and indirectly govern the supply of chemical contained in the tank 27 to the reaction tank 19.

In the lime water tank 21 is arranged a rotary agitator 30 which serves, when in operation, to thoroughly mingle the water supplied to said tank through the pipe 17 with the slacked lime which is supplied to wheel mechanism through the discharge of water from the receptacle 1 thereinto, said agitator will be operated. The lime water tank 21 communicates with the reaction tank 19 through a pipe 36 which discharges into the upper end of the down-take pipe 29 of said reaction tank 19 as shown. The supply of lime water to said reaction tank, with the arrangement disclosed, is governed by the level of the lime water in tank 21. The supply to the tank 21 being supplied through the pipe 17 which leads from the compartment 10, it will be seen that the supply of lime water to the reaction tank is in reality governed by the quantity of water which is divided out of the stream issuing'from supply pipe 2.

Leading from the water wheel mechanism 18 is a pipe 87 which also communicates with the down-take pipe 29 of reaction tank 19 as shown in Fig. 1.

lVith the arrangement set forth then it will be seen that the proportion or quantity of chemicals introduced or supplied to the raw water which is supplied in the reaction tank through the pipe 37 willbe fixed and certain, the proportion or quantity of chemicals introduced into the raw water being regulated and controlled by the width of the mouths of compartments 9 and 10 as will be readily understood.

The water wheel shaft is provided at one end with a gear 35 which meshes with a second gear 38 carrying a crank 39 which is connected with the lower end of a; vertically movable bar 40 at the upper end of which is formed a rack 41. Said rack 41 meshes with a pinion 42 connected with the supply pipe 2, the construction being such that, upon rotation of the water wheel, said pipe 2 will be oscillated, so that in the operation of the apparatus, the force of the liquid flowing from the receptacle 1 through the drain pipe 15 will serve to operate the pipe 2 and also the agitator 80.

In the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 a circular receptacle or trough 43 is employed instead of the straight rectangular trough 1 of the form above described. In this form the annular compartment or interior of receptacle 43 is divided by walls or partitions 44, 45 and 46 into compartments 47, 48 and 49 which correspond respectively with the interior of receptacle 1,. and'compartments 9 and 10 respectively of the first described form. The compartment 47 communicates with the water wheel mechanism 18 through outlet or drain pipe 50 and the compartments 48 and 49 communicate through pipes 51 and 52 respectively with the same tanks as are communicated with by pipes 16 and 17 before described. Above the receptacle 43 is arranged a tank 53 which is rotatably mounted in a support 54. The stationary supply pipe 4 is shown discharging into the upper end of said tank 53. Extending downwardly from the tank 53 is a pipe 55 which is positioned directly over the annular interior of receptacle 43, the arrangement being such that when the tank 53 is rotated the pipe 55 will move in a circular path directly over said receptacle 43 and successively discharge the stream issuing from said pipe into compartments 47, 48 and 49. l/Vith this arrangement it will be seen that the stream of water issuing from the pipe 55 will be divided into three parts through deposit into compartments 47, 48

and A9 in just the same manner as the.

stream of water issuing from the pipe 2 through deposit into receptacle 1 and the receptacles 9 and 10.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred forms of construction for carrying out my invention, these are capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit'of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising an oscillatory liquid supply element from which the liquid issues in a stream; a receptacle having an open upper side into which the stream of liquid is directed by said supply element; means for dividing the interior of said receptacle into a plurality of upwardly opening compartments; and means for continuously oscillating said supply element so that the stream issuing therefrom will deposit into said receptacles successively, substantially as described.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a liquid supply element adapted for oscillation in a vertical plane and from which the liquid issues in a stream; a plurality of upwardly opening compartments into which the stream of liquid is directed by said supply element; and means for continuously oscillating said supply element so that the stream issuing therefrom will deposit into said compartments successively, substantially as described.

3. Apparatus of the class described comprising a liquid supply element from which the liquid issues in a stream; a plurality of upwardly opening compartments into which the stream of liquid is directed by said supply element; and means for continuously moving said stream and said compartments the liquid issues in a stream; a receptacle having an open upper end and a plurality of upwardly opening compartments therein into which the stream of liquid is directed by said supply element; means for moving said liquid stream, and said receptacle relatively to each other, said compartment having tiltably adjustable side walls whereby the width of the mouths of said compartments may be adjusted by tiltably adjusting said walls; and means for tiltably adjusting said walls and releasably locking the same in positions of adjustment, substantially as described.

5. The combination in a water softening apparatus, of a water supply element from which the water issues in a stream; a plurality of upwardly opening compartments into which the stream of Water is directed by said supply element; means for moving said supply element so that the stream of water issuing therefrom will successively deposit into said compartments; a drain pipe leading from each of said compartments; and a water wheel operative by the water flowingfrom one of said drain pipes for actuating said last mentioned means, substantially as described.

6. The combination in a water softening apparatus, of a Water supply element from which the water issues in a stream; a plurality of upwardly opening compartments into which the stream of water is directed by said supply element; means for moving said supply element so that the stream of water issuing therefrom will successively deposit into said compartments; a drain passage leading from one of said compartments; and a water wheel operative by the Water flowing through one of said drain passages for actuating said last mentioned means, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD S. ELLIS. Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. POTTS, B. G. RICHARDS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

